FC Dallas left to rue bad luck and missed chances after loss to San Jose

SAN JOSE - FC Dallas had 17 chances on goal, 6 corners, nearly 80% of possession and hit two posts in the second half, but were left with no points in Saturday's 2-1 loss at San Jose. It was an unfortunate end to a week riddled with bad luck for Oscar Pareja's men.

"It's hard to believe that we’re facing this result. The heart of the team and the desire to work was there," said Pareja after the match. "I have no complaints about that. The boys fought during the game and the number of options we created were - I don’t know how many - and we ended up putting the ball into our own goal. A very unfortunate night for us."

Down 1-0 in the first half, FCD was handed a lifeline late as winger Shea Salinas was shown red for a high cleat into the knee of Zach Loyd, giving Dallas a man advantage that they certainly put to good use in the second half.

Dallas came out flying and should have taken the lead in the 56th minute when Victor Ulloa's shot caromed off the post. The rebound fell to Blas Perez whose follow-up effort was miraculously saved on the line by 'Quakes goalkeeper Jon Busch. Replays showed the shot possibly crossed the line, but FCD wasn't awarded the goal.

"We had so many chances [tonight] and if we played the game like that 10 times I feel we would score two goals nine of those times," said Tesho Akindele. "But this was just the one unlucky one for us."

Incredibly, on perhaps the only Earthquakes foray into the Dallas defensive half of the last 45 minutes, a fairly innocuous free kick flicked off FCD forward David Texeira and past Raul Fernandez to double San Jose's lead.

Michel pulled FCD within a goal on a spectacular free kick, his fifth goal of the season, but despite wave after wave of attack, Dallas once again fell by a single goal in a game they deserved more out of. It's a bitter final pill to swallow of a three-match week in which Dallas could easily be leaving with seven points, but rather are left with nothing.

"It’s obviously frustrating because we feel like we did well in those three matches and even against New York with ten men we did well," said Victor Ulloa. "It’s frustrating because we know we deserved more, but that’s the game and sometimes you deserve it and don’t get it. We just need to stick together and keep going together in one direction. We’ll watch the video this week and next week it’s Chivas USA at home."